Granville Island Vancouver

Another amazing stop on our trip to Vancouver was Granville Island. Each trip, I love wandering around the aisles of abundant produce in the public market, which reminds me a lot of the Victoria Markets in Melbourne. This time we also discovered a great kids' playground, a beautiful restaurant serving local produce, and an hysterical Bacon window - get some bacon with your bacon!

Here are some photos for you to enjoy...

I can tell you that the blueberry white chocolate bread from Terra Breads was phenomenal - I could have bought their entire bounty of rustic breads adn pastries. Siegel's Bagels were also spot-on and perfect with the beautiful smoked salmon. We made the most of Vancouver's excellent salmon on our trip - it's really on another level. Did you spot the maple syrup-coated Salmon candy?

Have you been to Granville Island? Do you have a favourite store there?

Images: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

Kitsilano Vancouver Colours

While visiting my sister and her husband in Vancouver, I was so inspired by the abundance of colour, especially in their neighbourhood - the very stylish Kitsilano. It seemed like every house had a glorious cottage garden and heavy peonies and rose heads dotted yards.

Even the sidewalk in front of the storefronts was ablaze with lush flowers and herbs. The rainbow colours were also reflected in fun stores like Cupcakes by Heather and Lori (they have their own kooky reality TV show in Canada), David's Tea (an amazing range of beautifully-packaged teas and brewing accoutrement), and Lululemon of course (a Kitsilano original - the first store opened here in 2000). Maybe all the colour is a foil for the often-grey sky and frequent rain showers? Or a product there-of. Here are some happy snaps from Kitsilano to brighten your day...

 

I can also highly recommend the vegetarian restaurant The Naam, Sophie's Cosmic Cafe, and The Boathouse Restaurant - all excellent. Have you been to Kitsilano? Do you have any travel recommendations for this great neighbourhood?

Images: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

When in Vancouver, Must Do JAPA DOG

My sister has been raving about the Japanese-style hotdogs from street vendor JAPA DOG in Vancouver. When we were there last month, we happened to stay in the hotel right next door, so ventured out on our first jet-lagged night to try the local delicacy.

Signs on the stand scream out "Eat JAPA DOG!", promote all the famouse people that have eaten there, and display the unusual hotdog flavours include Misomayo(turkey smokie laden with special miso sauce, Kaiware, and japanese mayo), Oroshi (bratwurst laden with special soy sauce, green onions, and daikon), and Terimayo (smothered in Japanese mayo, nori, teriyaki sauce, and fried onions). It's a fun, kitschy experience that puts JAPA DOG high on my list of must-do's in Vancouver.

You can find JAPA DOG at the corner of Burrard and Haro St, downtown Vancouver, BC.

Image: bbqmag at Flickr

Hip Products: myMonkeymoo Stroller Pads

If you are like us and have a stroller that is a little... drab, the great designs of myMonkeymoo stroller pads and liners may perk up your baby pushing experience. my Monkey moo is another design brand that we discovered while in Vancouver last month and all products are designed and made in Canada.

The liners are plush swirl chenille on one side, and hip bright 100% cotton fabric on the other, with holes to fit 5-point harness-compatible strollers. The liner fits our Maclaren beautifully. myMonkeymoo also stocks matching blankets for cooler weather.

The stroller pads are machine washable and retail for CAD$69 from MyMonkeymoo's online store and retailers in Canada, the US and the UK.

Image: myMonkeymoo

All The Girls Are Wearing Lululemon

When we were in Vancouver last month, we noticed the huge number of women wearing stretch pants and jackets with a tiny upside-down U symbol. And I mean a huge number... it was almost a uniform on the streets of Vancouver. My sister pointed out that Vancouverites are devotees of the Lululemon Athletica brand, and on the rest of our trip we noticed girls in their Lulus all over New York and San Francisco too. Lululemon Athletica is a clothing and lifestyle brand featuring yoga-inspired workout and casual gear, to seamlessly take you from home to running errands to a fitness class. You can find Lululemon Athletica stores in Canada (the brand orginiated in Vancouver), the US, Australia, and wholesalers in a selection of other countries.

Image: Lululemon Athletica